Better

Some life lessons are specifically addressed and others are woven into a persons’ nature with subtle shaping, until it is a normal reaction and not seen as unique. One of these valuable learned attributes is to always be looking for how you and I can better something for someone else. It was mentioned by journalist Marja Mills when she wrote about learning to wipe the bathroom sink off at a public restroom, just to leave it better for someone else. A simple act that only takes a few seconds led her to rethink this concept in a much bigger way and incorporate it more fully into her life.

Yesterday, I saw that lesson being taught to a young girl, from someone I am supposing is her mother. Coming out of a gas station/ Arby’s on a road trip, the girl tossed her napkin towards the trash can. It bounced across the top and landed on the ground on the other side. The little girl kept going, until she was pointed back towards the trash can and instructed to pick it up and throw it away. The lesson at the forefront seemed to be to pick up after yourself. But, it was also this bigger concept of making something better for someone else.

It really is a simple, but rather inspired, concept to be actively looking for how to better something for someone else. As I go about my day, I will be challenging myself to keep my eyes and ears open to what possibilities there might be to better something for someone else. I hope you join me. 

Puppy Dog Lessons

 Last weekend we loaded up and headed out to a nearby park for some unplugged down time, much needed and much enjoyed.  Besides vehicles packed with what we needed for staying in the cabins, we had all the packing for bringing all three of the dogs with us.  Two labs and one labradoodle came along, much to their delight.  They spent time splashing in the lake, sleeping in the sunshine, and stretched out on blankets.  We packed everything they would need.  And they packed in a few lessons along the way.

Jumping In

My sweet labradoodle pup is more a girly girl than not; more pillow than puddle.  So, while the labs jumped into the lake with abandon, she decided that sitting on the dock with me was just fine.  But, they must have looked like they were having such great fun.  I could see her wanting to join in, but she held back.  Unexpectedly and at a full run, she took off and launched into the water.  Sometimes, you just have to acknowledge the fear and jump in anyway. 

Oh, and she didn’t jump back in later, but she did manage to wade in up to her belly.

Dragon, Pillows, Air Conditioners – Gotta’ Lean into the Little Joys

Don’t leave home without your dragon (a.k.a. safety blanket).  My pup simply will not go to bed without her stuffed dragon.  So, dragon of course went along with us.  Pillows are our friends.  And for many of us, they are kind of an expected part of our bedroom set.  But, just because we are used to it, we don’t want to lose the joy of the feel of a pillow under our heads.  And, when you are in the car, it can feel good to lean into the air conditioner and really soak in the cool air.  Of course, not when you are driving…  It isn’t always the big things that are joys; it is a myriad of little things.

Be Happy To See Loved Ones

Whether I’m gone five hours or five minutes, I get a wonderfully enthusiastic greeting from my pup.  She is so happy that I am back with her.  Don’t forget to show others how happy you are to see them too!

Focus on the Stick

Before a dog can swim out and get a stick in a lake, they have got to know where the stick is.  So, they get focused and wait for it to be thrown, watching for the splash for where it lands.  If they get distracted, they would have no idea of where to look.  It is easy to lose focus, but when we need to keep our eye on the goal, it is time to look at the goal and don’t look away.

 

Don’t Just Notice – Do Something

An evening campfire was feeling better and better as the cooler night temperatures set in.  As we moved our lawn chairs closer, I noticed that my pup was showing signs of getting cold.  Getting ready to leave the fire and take her in, I reached down to pet her and noticed that I was touching two pups.  One noticed that the other was cold and moved over to cuddle in.  Next thing I know, they were both sound asleep and warm and comfy.  I often get so busy, I miss that someone else is having a rough moment.  And, if I miss it, I certainly can’t lend a hand or warmth. 

The dogs went on vacation with us, and taught a few lessons along the way.

Watch Out for the Pedestrian

   I was walking to my car and came to an intersection. Look right, left, back farther to the right – it is a four way stop, and then I started walking across the street. A teal colored car with a red stripe and rest spots was preparing to make the corner. The driver decided that there was a great need to hurry me along and proceeded to yell – hurry up as he drove past. I don’t know, perhaps there was a great emergency or perhaps he thought he was funny (which he was not). Either way, I was crossing along on a snowy road and being hurried along by someone in a car. Needless to say, by the time I was crossed the intersection, I was just down-right irritated!

   Arriving at my own car, I started thinking about how the driver was really quite rude and if I had slipped on the wet and wintry conditions, that would have created a potentially serious hazard. I felt my irritation grow. But, after I had cleaned off my own car and given myself a few minutes to cool off, I thought about how the driver could not have known that my knee was hurting or how I was concerned with slipping. I’m not excusing this or justifying the behavior. I’m simply stating that we are often unaware of a bigger picture.
   Sometimes, we have pedestrians in front of our ideas, policies, practices, and they resist change. They hem and haw their way along (or at least we think so), while we are attempting to move forward. How tempting to roll down the window, “hurry up!” Otherwise, I will run over you with progress, change, and the newness of life. I may not be aware of their pains, fears, and aversions. They may not understand why I am attempting to move forward.
   So, be careful when crossing the street, and be mindful of the pedestrians. You may just be one of them.

Impact of Friends

   I’m trying to think about how I can impact the people around me. Today I kept waiting for a way to do that. Though the grand gesture was very appealing, it was a combination of conversation and laughter with friends of dinner. It wasn’t anything in particular, just a listening ear and a caring heart amongst friends that really do listen and care.

   Listening and caring may not seem like an impactful thing, but I believe they can be. We can be so busy and have so many different sounds that our caring and listening gets muddled. It took time for one of our friends to plan this, to help us clear a time and set it aside for this dinner. She made an impact. It took focus to listen to each other, especially in a busy room. It is an impact.